Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on June 19

                                
 PRAGUE, June 19 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Thursday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours)

 ======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
                                
 
========================= EVENTS ===============================
                                
 PRAGUE - The lower house of parliament to continue a session
to discuss pension and healthcare reforms.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]

====================== TOP NEWS ===============================
                                
 SANOFI TO BID FOR ZENTIVA: French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis
<SASY.PA> plans to make a 40.04 billion crown ($2.6 billion)
offer for Czech drugmaker Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR>, trumping a bid
from financial group PPF.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL19157142] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN EXTENDS GAINS: The Czech crown <EURCZK=> firmed to a
new regular-trading record high of 23.920 per euro on Wednesday,
after euro sellers triggered stop loss orders in what many
players see as safe haven currency.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL17449415] Related news:[RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                

                                
 CENTRAL BANK: All seven Czech central bank board members
will attend the bank's June 26 monetary policy meeting.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL718898] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH OPPOSITION NARROWS LEAD: The Czech Republic's ruling
right-wing Civic Democrats (ODS) narrowed their gap behind the
 main opposition party, the leftist Social Democrats (CSSD), an
opinion poll showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1872362] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
    
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,623.7  1,633.6   -0.61        -10.54
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  24.010   24.010   +0.00        +10.37
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  15.401   15.467   +0.42        +17.97
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,029   12,160   -1.08         -9.32
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 
                                
 DIVIDEND FLOWS: Foreign investors will likely expatriate
130-150 billion crowns in dividends this year.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page 1
                                
 
                                
 ZENTIVA BID: Zentiva NV <ZNTVsp.PR> board of directors will
release a statement "within several days" in which it will
recommend investors how to handle takeover bids from
shareholders Sanofi-Aventis <SASY.PA> and PPF, Zentiva CEO Jiri
Michal said in an interview.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page B4
                                
 
                                
 AAA MAY LEAVE POLAND: Czech used car dealership AAA Auto
Group NV <AAAAsp.PR> is likely to leave the Polish market, and
will decide on its presence on the Romanian market by the end of
the year.
                                
 E15, page 15
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
 
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on    [CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
 For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)